Gas dryers have a gas burner that does the heating; electric dryers have electric heating elements. Both types utilize electricity for the motor that turns the drum and the controls.

Gas dryers are combustion appliances. When they burn gas, they give off noxious carbon dioxide gas that must be vented to the outdoors via a proper vent line.

If the dryer’s spot in the laundry area is equipped with a gas line and an appropriate vent that exhausts to the outdoors, a gas dryer is usually favored over an electric one because gas is less expensive in most areas. If there is no gas line but there is a 240-volt outlet, you may want to opt for an electric dryer.